“I prefer the way down, rather than the way up.” Lucía Montobbio, volunteer.
	Some people say that Joaquim Costa Street in Barcelona will soon become the new Portal del Angel. I hope not. This street connects Eixample, where I live, and Raval, where Arrels is located. I have just arrived from an Erasmus stage spent in Peruggia, and I have decided that, to not overstretch the traumatic effects of ending my years in university, I must get busy and work.

 

I have been going up and down Joaquim Costa Street for a week now. This street is a mixture of all sorts of people: tourists, drunks, Pakistanis, Indians, Latin-Americans, half asleep children dragging schoolbags, motorcycles, bikes, BCN Neta hosepipes that flood the pavement, supermarkets opening, women hanging the laundry on the balconies… From my house, it takes around 25 minutes to get there. Eixample is a rather boring area. I prefer the way down, than the way up. Not only for the life in Raval, but because I am on my way to a place I believe in. I believe in what Fundacio Arrels does, and I am glad I can take part on it. As the foundational idea says, Fundacio Arrels is focused on the issue of homeless people in Barcelona and contributes to their integral development.

In the  “pigeon loft” (a nickname for the Communication Department) each day is different; some mornings I write articles, some others I share headaches trying to deal with the new website, and some others I simply make contacts, or press reports. I never get bored. I often find myself in really cool situations such as ice-cream tasting, or playing a water polo game occupying more than one lane of the public swimming pool; all of them activities organised by the centre obert to help homeless people. As a person and a journalist, I try to give voice to those that do not often have it in the media. That’s why I prefer they way down, rather than the way up.